Controlling combustion in a plurality of generators



F. H. BROWN.

CONTROLLING COMBUSTION IN A PLURALITY 0F GENERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED 0019. Ian.

1,33 9,055. Patenteyl May 4, 1920.

WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcn FRANCIS H. BROWN, 0FPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR '10 JOHN M, HO PWOOD, 0FPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROLLING GOMBUS-TION'IN A PLUBALITY 0F GENERATORS.

Application filed October 9, 1917.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. BROWN, residing at Philadelphia, in thecounty of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of theUnited States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Im-.provements in Controlling Combustion in a Plurality of Generators, ofwhich improve ments the following is a specification.

In application Serial Number 184,261 filed August 3rd 1917, I havedescribed and claimed. certain improvements in the regulation of theoperations involved 'in' the generation of steam or other fluids such asthe feed of. fuel, the supply of air for combustion, the feed of wateror other liquid for the boiler or generator, and the regulation of thedischarge of gases from the fire box in connection with single units orboilers.

The invention described herein relates to the regulation of the feed offuel, supplying air for combustion to and the discharge of gases fromsingle units of a battery of two or more boilers, such operations beingcontrolled by and in accordance with the flow of steam along the mainoutlet conduit or header to which the outlet pipes of the several unitsare connected. The invention is hereinafter more fully described andclaimed.

1n the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, isshown two units of boilers each connected to a common conduit or headerin combination with appliances for regulating the operations involved inthe generation of steam in said units.

In the practice of the invention, the boilers 1 of the several unitswhich may be of any desired construction or type, are connected by pipes2 to a common conduit or header 3, extending to an engine or other pointof use. In order to control the Opera tions involved in generation ofsteam or other product by and in accordance with the rate of flow ofsuch product along the conduit 3, suitable means are employed wherebythe diflerence between the static pressure of the product in the pipe 3and the static pressure as affected, positively or negatively, by theflow of the product along the pipe are utilized. A convenientconstruction to that end consists in contracting to a certain extent, aportion of the pipe 3, as for example, by inserting a disk, having anopening less in diameter than the inter,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May a, 1920.

Serial No. 195,624.

nal diameter of the pipe and connecting to the pipe 3 on opposite sidesof the dia phragm or contracted portion a, pipes 4 and 5, connectedrespectively to the shell of the diaphragm motor 6 at points on oppositesides of the diaphragm therein. Suitable means are employed, such forexample as that diagrammatically shown in the drawings and alsodescribed in an application filed by me August 3rd 1917, Serial Number184,260 for transmitting the movement of a diaphragm due to differencesin the rate of flow of steam along the pipe 3, to suitable regulatingdevices controlling directly the feed of air through the conduit 7 tothe fire box and the escape of products of combustion from the fire boxthrough the conduit 9; Generally stated, such transmitting meansconsists of a lever 11 operatively connected to the diaphragm of themotor and having its end connected by a turn buckle 12 to one end of apivotally mounted frame 13 on which is pivotally mounted a bell cranklever 14. One arm of the lever 14 is connected to the rod 15 of a valvemechanism 16, connected by a pipe 17 to a source of fluid under pressureand adapted to regulate the flow of such liquid through pipes 18 and 19to opposite ends of the cylinder 20. The other arm of the bell cranklever 14 is connected by a rod 21 to the pivotally mounted standard 22to which is secured a shoe slidably engaging an adjustable angularlyarranged rod 23. This rod is adjustably secured to a frame 24 carried bythe bar 25 which is so connected by an arm 27 to the piston rod 26 ofthe eylinder 20 as to move up or down with the piston. When the frame 13is shifted by the diaphragm, the valve of the mechanism 16 will becorrespondingly shifted, admitting fluid pressure'to one end of thecylinder 20 and permitting the escape of fluid from the opposite endthereof; the movement of the piston in cylinder 20 will raise or lowerthe angularly arranged rod 18 and the movement of this rod through theshoe will rock the standard 22 and thereby so shift the bell crank lever14 as to move the valve mechanism in a direction opposite that impartedby the frame 13 and prevents further flow of fluid under pressure tocylinder 20. Suitable means are employed for transmitting motion of thepiston of the nvlirder 20 to lllitable means for controlling the flow ofair under pressure to, and the discharge of gases from the fire boxes 8,such as dampers 28 in the air conduits 7 and dampers 29 in the gasconduits 9 of each of the units of the battery. In the constructionshown, a cord 30 extends from one end of the piston rod 26 aroundsuitable guide pulleys 31'and back to the opposite end of the pistonrod. This cord is passed two or more times around, or otherwiseoperatively connected to drums 32 on the shafts of the dampers 29. Bymeans of the described mechanism, any change of the rate of flow ofsteam along the main conduit will effect a change in position of thedampers 29 of all the units, thereby increasing or diminishing the rateof flow of products of combustion from the fire box 8 and also thepressure of gases in said fire box. Any variations in the flow ofproducts of combustion from the fire box of a unit will be accompaniedby a corresponding variation in the flow of air under pressure throughthe conduit 7 to the fire box of such unit. In the resent construction,the re lation of the ow of air is efi'ected by an in accordance with achange of pressure in the fire boxes due to the shifting of the dampers29. While any suitable means adapted to be actuated by the pressure inthe fire box, may be emploped, the mechanism shown and described in ig.4 of Letters Patent No. 1,150,097, dated August 7th, 1915 and inapplication Serial Number 184,260 above referred to is preferably used.As shown in said patent and application, the fire box is connected withthe interior of a tank inverted in a body of water b a conduit 34 andwill be raised or lowere by variations of pressure in the fire box.Through the means of suitably interposed mechanism, the tank in itsmovement will shift a valve mechanism to admit pressure to one or to theother end of a fluid pressure cylinder 35 and thereby shift the pistonof said cylinder which has its rod 37 connected by a cord 38 to suitablemeans for controlling the delivery of air under pressure to the fireboxes. While not limited to such means, the control of air underpressure through the conduits may be effected by means of dampers 28arranged therein and having the cord 38 suitably attached to the drumson the shafts of said dampers. For regulating the feed of fuel, thelower end of the piston rod 37 is connected by a lever 40 to the valverod 41 of a valve mechanism 42 which is adapted to control the flow offluid under pressure from the boiler or other source of supply throughpipes 43 and 4-4 to the motor of a stoking mechanism 45, which may be ofany suitable type or construction.

In order to regulate the feed of water to lithe boilers, it is preferredto employ means substantially similar to that hereinbefore described forregulating the position of the dampers 29 in the gas conduits 9. Pipes46 and 47 have one end connected to the steam outlet pipe 2 from each ofthe boilers and their opposite ends connected to the shell of thediaphra m motors 48 at points on opposite sides 0% the diaphragm. Themovements of these diaphragms due to changes of rate of flow throughpipes 2, will, through the mechanisms described and shown, cause amovement of the pistons in the cylinders 49 and through suitableinterposed means properly shift the valve mechanisms 50 controlling theflow of water to the boilers. In the construction shown, the cords 51have one end connected to the upper end of the piston rods 52 of thecylinders 29 and their opposite ends to the rods 53, employed forshifting the movable elements of the valve mechanisms 50. The other endsof these rods 53 are connected by cords 54 to the lower ends of thepiston rods 52 of the cylinders 49.

It is characteristic of the improvement described herein that theoperations of controlling the escape of gas from the fire box and thefeed of fuel and air for combustion are controlled primarily by the rateof flow of steam along the conduit connected to all the units of thebattery, but that the supply of fuel and the flow of air for combustionto the fire box is further de ndent upon changes of pressure in the rebox as effected by changes of position of the dampers in the flues 9.The feed of water to each boiler is controlled by the flow of steam fromsaid boiler.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. The method herein described which consists in regulating the flow ofproducts of combustion from the fire boxes of a plurality of boilers byand in accordance with the rate of flow of steam along the pipeconnected to said boilers and regulating the flow of air under pressureto each of said fire boxes by and in accordance with the variations inthe pressure of gases in the respective fire boxes, due to changes inthe rate of discharge of gases therefrom.

2. The method herein described which consists in regulating the flow ofproducts of combustion from the fire boxes of a plurality of boilers byand in accordance with the rate of flow of steam along the pipeconnected to said boilers and regulating the feed of fuel to each ofsaid fire boxes by and in accordance with variations in the pressure ofgases in the respective fire boxes due to changes in the rate ofdischarge of gases therefrom.

3. The method herein described which consists in regulating the flow ofproducts of combustion from the fire boxes of a plurality of boilers byand in accordance with the rate of flow of steam along the pipeconnected to said boilers and regulating the operations involved in thegeneration of steam, the feed of fuel, air, and of water to each of saidboilers by and in accordance with conditions present in each individualboiler.

4. The method herein described which consists in regulating the flow ofproducts of combustion from the fire boxes of a plu rality oi. boilersby and in accordance with, the rate of flow of steam along the pipeconnected to the said boiler, and the feed of fuel and air to said fireboxes by and in accordance with variations in the pressure of gases ineach of said fire boxes due to changes in the rate of flow of gases fromsaid fire boxes and regulating the flow of feed of water to each of saidboilers by and in accordance with the rate of flow of steam from therespective boilers.

5. The method herein described which consists in regulating theoperations as the discharge of gases from the fire boxes, the feed offuel and air under pressure to the fireboxes of a plurality of boilersby and in accordance with the rate of flow of steam through a pipeconnected to all of the said boilers and regulating the feed of water toeach of said boilers by and in accordance with the discharge of steamfrom each of said boilers.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANCIS H. BROWN.

